Odisha registers highest ever spike of 173 covid positive cases, tally surged to 2781

Health and family Welfare  department sources said 173 covid positive cases were reported from 14 districts and 150 of them were reported from the quarantine centres while the rest 23 are local cases. 

A maximum 64 cases were reported from Ganjam district, a major hotspot for covid  followed by 19 in Jajpur, also another hotspot, 13 each from Cuttack and Mayurbhanj districts, 11 each from Bolangir and Balasore and ten from Gajapati district.

The other seven districts, however, reported single dight covid cases.

The state has so far reported 1604 Covid 19 recoveries and 1167 active cases being treated in various Covid  hospitals.

So far only eight people have died from covid-19  in the state and two others due to co-morbidities, official sources said. 

Ganjam district has topped the list with 597  covid positive cases followed by Jajpur (312), Khordha (226), Balasore (190), Cuttack (167), Kendrapara (163), Bhadrak (140), Bolangir (116), Puri (100), Jagatsinghpur (87).

All these eleven districts are considered as more prone to covid  cases. These eleven districts together accounted for 80 per cent of the total positive cases in the state.
 
Considering the  gravity of the situation in these eleven districts, the state has announced weekend shutdown on Saturdays and Sundays in these eleven districts which began today.
 
However, some movements like movement in case of medical or other emergencies, ATMs, Operations of Airports, Railway Stations and Bus Terminals have been exempted from restriction.
 
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik, taking to his tweeter handle said: “Relaxation in #lockdown is meant for livelihood. But it is important for us to remain cautious so that the relaxation does not endanger our life”.
 
Mr. Patnaik through a video address has appealed to the people of the State to adhere to the guidelines of lockdown and shutdown.

He described June very crucial in the context of COVID-19 and said with return of about 5 lakh migrants and advent of monsoon, Odisha's success against COVID-19 shall depend on management of the coming 25 days.

Senior  BJP leader and Leader of Oppositon in Odisha Assembly Pradeepta Kumar Nayak has urged the state government to extend the institutional quarantine period in the rural areas to 14 days in view of the rising covid cases among the  migrants.

The state government had reduced the institutional  quarantine period from 14 days to seven days for asymptomatic Covid 19 patients and subsequent seven days home quarantine.
 
Mr Nayak said home quarantine for the migrant workers will further aggravate the covid situation in the rural areas as a majority of them have to stay with their family members in one room dwellings with shared toilets, endangering the spread of covid cases.
 
He further said since the incubation period of Covid 19 virus is two weeks, the state government should extend the  institutional quarantine in rural areas to 14 days to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Meanwhile, all the teams of NDRF, ODRAF and Fire service personnels who were deployed in West Bengal for restoration work in the cyclone Amphan ravaged areas, have been put on 14 days quarantine on their return from West Bengal yesterday.